


Viral

by TuppingLiberty



Series: TLIB FFC 2021- original works [10]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Crack, Fairies, M/M, Marital Strife, Pandemic - Freeform, Relationship Friction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29442387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuppingLiberty/pseuds/TuppingLiberty
Summary: FFC Day 10: ViralFeaturing some pandemic-stress caused marital strife, and a conflict fairy to help out.My thought process was viral -> pandemic -> the stress of being quarantined together; so it's really not about 'viral' at all.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: TLIB FFC 2021- original works [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138628
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2021: Apocalypse No





	Viral

When Bez walks into the kitchen and sees the accumulation of dishes in the sink, something in his brain goes off, an aneurysm, a mini-nuclear explosion right above his eyes. All he can see is red, all he can say is- “Nick! Nicholas George Lee!” 

“What?” Nick yells back, and that nuclear explosion in Bez’s brain goes from mini to normal sized and expanding quickly. 

Bez clenches his teeth. “I thought we agreed you were going to clean the kitchen.” 

“I’ll get to it!” Nick calls, still not moving from his spot on the couch. 

“When?” 

“Soon!” 

“Nick-” 

There’s a chiming in the air, and everything around Bez freezes. He has a second to blink, confused, before a...small creature that Bez refuses to acknowledge as a fairy floats before him. The definitely-not-a-fairy-because-that-would-mean-Bez-is-going-crazy fairy has glittery purple wings that shimmer in the lights of the kitchen. 

“I don’t think you should finish that sentence, dearie,” the fairy says in a sing-songy voice. 

“What the hell?” 

“I’m the conflict fairy! I’m here to give you a second to calm down before you do anything rash. Come here.” 

The fairy flits over to the doorway separating the kitchen from the living area. Nick is sacked out on the couch like he has been all day, most days since he got laid off from his dream job and hasn’t figured out what he wants to do instead. There are dark bags under Nick’s eyes, and he’s lost weight despite the inactivity. Despite his earlier anger, Bez’s heart goes out to his husband. He sighs. “I’m just...tired of doing all the cleaning by myself.” 

“That’s valid too, dearie. I’ll be visiting your beloved as well, giving him a little reminder that marriage takes at least two helpful people.” 

“Everything is just...it just sucks right now.” With a sigh, Bez sits down beside Nick’s frozen form on the couch, rubbing over his husband’s shoulder. “You know?” 

“I know, love. I’ve been very, very busy this last year. You two, though, you can make it. Just keep holding on.” The fairy flies over, leaning in to brush a butterfly kiss over Bez’s forehead. “I can see the gold in your hearts; I don’t like to encourage people to stay in bad relationships, but at your core, you two have it. You just needed some reminding.” 

Bez sighs, suddenly overwhelmingly tired. “Thanks, conflict fairy.” 

“Go to sleep now, dear.” 

A second later Bez blinks his eyes back open, though the clock on the TV says it’s been an hour since he laid down with Nick. Nick’s arm is wrapped around his waist, his leg tucked over, too, giving Bez a big bear hug. Bez sighs, sinking into the cuddling embrace. He  _ does _ love Nick. 

Nick’s lips ghost under his ear, pressing a kiss there, even though they haven’t had sex in months. “I just had the weirdest dream, but I don’t really remember anything about it. Just that...I was cleaning, but it was okay, I just...set a timer and got shit done for a little bit.” 

Bez turns so he can see Nick’s face. There are bags under his eyes; he looks as stressed and tired as Bez feels. “It can feel really good to get shit done sometimes.”

“Oddly motivating.” Nick leans in, pressing a kiss to his lips. It’s longer, more passionate than any kiss they’ve shared recently, and when Nick pulls out of it, he’s a little surprised. “Hey.” 

“Hey,” Bez echoes softly, rubbing his thumb over Nick’s cheek. 

“I love you.” 

“I love you.” 

“Without my job, I don’t feel like I deserve that. Or anything. I don’t feel like a whole person.” Nick looks a little surprised at his own confession, like he wasn’t expecting to say that. 

“I don’t know if it helps, but I see you as a whole person, even if you don’t feel that way. And I love every bit of you, even the part that’s tied up in work.” 

“I think I should maybe talk to someone about it.” 

Mentally, Bez starts adjusting the budget in his head. It’s been tight without Nick’s job, with the pandemic raging, but- “I think we can make that work.” 

Nick rolls gently on top of Bez, kissing him more fully, before pushing up off the couch. “I’m going to go tackle the kitchen.” 

Heartened, Bez smiles at the retreating back of his husband before sighing and pushing himself up. “And I’ll start tackling the laundry. Again. Why don’t we just live naked?” 

Nick pokes his head back in the living room, his grin wide. “No objections from me, babe, but it’s like twenty degrees out there, so you might need the layers.” 

“Let’s move someplace hot then!” 

“You’d be complaining about it in ten minutes flat.”

Bez blows a raspberry at Nick, smiling broadly when he hears Nick’s booming laugh above the sound of the sink filling up.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, if only there was a conflict fairy to freeze time for us so we could have a moment right before we explode. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated.


End file.
